In November 2017, Charity Evans got to check an item off of her 10-year plan, something firmly in her comfort zone.

Charity, who is a residential interior designer and owner of Refine Studios, says the idea to open an Airbnb rental was realized after the Commercial Street building from which she rents office space changed hands.

Charity Evan's Commercial Street Airbnb loft on January 24th, 2018.

Charity Evan's Commercial Street Airbnb loft on January 24th, 2018.

Brenna Stark for the News-Leader

“When I started renting this space last year, the entire building was for sale and that made me really nervous,” she says. After a loft tenant moved out, she decided to pitch her idea to the real estate investors who bought it. They liked it.

“I presented the idea to the owners and they decided to go with it,” she says.

Share This Gallery

Over the next several months, Charity transformed a two-story loft apartment into a welcoming space.

She had the goal of making it comfortable for larger parties of up to eight people.

“For the loft, with a lot of wedding venues nearby, my idea was for a wedding party to have a place to stay to get ready,” she says.

But she had to do it as inexpensively as possible. It was hard work, she says, but the result is proof that well-designed homes do not demand a well-padded wallet.

“Everything I did was designed around a strict budget,” Charity says.

Charity Evans found a lot of the decor at thrift shops and Craigslist.

Charity Evans found a lot of the decor at thrift shops and Craigslist.

Brenna Stark for the News-Leader

She picked up what she could through sites such as Craigslist and thrifts, and what she couldn’t buy, she made herself. For example:

• Charity wanted a sectional in the second-floor living area but couldn’t really justify the price. So she built a frame and upholstered foam crib mattresses.

• She fabricated a chandelier out of a basket she found at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

• And she customized bathroom floor tiles with stencils, garage floor paint and loads of sealant. This last one proved to be much more difficult than she imagined.

Charity Evans' Commercial Street Airbnb loft on Jan. 24, 2018.

Charity Evans' Commercial Street Airbnb loft on Jan. 24, 2018.

Brenna Stark/For the News-Leader

“It took three months for us to paint the tiles and we had six different girls,” she says. “We used stencils and thought it would be simple.”

She abandoned the stencil idea for the second bathroom floor.

But perhaps her most novel idea was to install swings rather than barstools at the kitchen island.

Swings for barstools? Why not!

Swings for barstools? Why not!

Brenna Stark for the News-Leader

“I wanted the whole space to do things I wouldn’t normally get to do in an everyday home,” Charity says. “You may not want swings for your barstools in your home, but they’re fun here.”

When it came time to think about art, she wanted to fill the volume but also kept in mind the intended purpose of the space.

She opted for murals created by local artists.

Murals were created by local artists.

Murals were created by local artists.

Brenna Stark for the News-Leader

“I love large-scale artwork, but I didn’t want nice artwork in here that could be ruined,” Charity says.

Now that the space is complete, Charity doesn’t plan to rest long. She already has plans for unused space in her storefront.

She’d like to open an event space and do the decorating for clients.

“I’m really excited about that because I love hosting showers,” she says.

We are always on the lookout for great houses — small, large, elegant or eclectic, they all have a story. If you would like to suggest a home — a friend’s, a family member’s or your own — email Jan Peterson at jan.peterson@att.net. Homes that are for sale are not eligible.